We welcome anyone for fellowship or need

Appropriately named "Helpings from the Heart,” the joint effort of Metro Corral Partners and The Salvation Army of Central Florida, will prepare about 25,000 meals. Almost half of those meals will be either carry-out or will be picked up and delivered to nursing homes and other facilities.

 

Holm operates 27 Golden Corral restaurants throughout Florida and Georgia. But things were not always good for him. The youngest of five children, Holm was raised by a single mother who worked two to three jobs to help provide for her family. Throughout his childhood, Holm recalls that The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities helped them out at Thanksgiving and Christmas. He admitted that these seasonal holidays were "pretty humble for us."

 

Helpings from the Heart started almost twenty years ago when Holm owned Angel's Diner on the first floor of what is now the Crown Plaza Hotel in Orlando. The Salvation Army is located directly next door to the hotel.

 

"Golden Corral takes pride in feeding the community every day of the year in its restaurants," Holm said. "We see Thanksgiving as a way of giving back to Central Florida by providing for those in need."  In its earlier days, the feast would feed about 10,000 people. That number has more than doubled and now approaches 25,000 or more.

 

“In 25 years, I have never experienced a community more in need than this one is now,” Major Andy Kelly, Area Commander for The Salvation Army said. “This meal has always been a blessing to those we serve, and, this year, it will do more good than ever,” he added.

The meals will total over 4000 pounds of turkey, 3000 pounds of ham and 38000 total pounds of mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes, corn, pie and fruit.

 

“There are always leftovers and we had a lot last year and the previous year,” Doug Koskey, facilities manager for Metro Corral Partners explained. “We overshoot because the leftover food is immediately absorbed into The Salvation Army's shelter kitchens and is always put to good use.” This also assures that all who come or are in need receive their meal.

 

Chef Jason Gronlund, Executive Chef for Hard Rock in Orlando, manages the food preparation and serving. Koskey pointed out that last year, Gronlund was experiencing severe back pain that required surgery. Yet he chose to schedule the surgery until after Thanksgiving so he could still serve the people of our community. "This demonstrates his dedication to the event," Koskey said.

 

While the dinner was founded by Holm, it has become a collaborative effort that is supported by the non-profit community, corporations and several local businesses including: U.S. Foods, MBM Food Services,  Bubbalous Bar-B-Que, Pepsi, Harvill's Produce, Sam's Gas, One Fat Frog Restaurant Equipment, Universal Studios Orlando, Orange County Fairgrounds, Kem Express, and The Tea Factory.  Sprint also provides free cell phone services for those who may want to contact family members but have not been able to do so.

 

“The Salvation Army is blessed to be a participant in an effort such as this feast made possible by hundreds of helping hands and generous hearts,” Kelly said.

 

“Since I have been doing this, Thanksgiving means something far different to me than before,” Koskey admitted. “We work all year to feed our families and by some stroke of luck, we have made it another year and though it has gotten harder, we are still blessed enough to be doing that.”

 

“I want to be there, just like the others,” Koskey acknowledged. “ It is a feeling, an experience, almost a need to do something for others, to see the plight of others, to understand that life is not kind to everyone, and kindness does not come from the government, or organizations but from one person to another.”

 

“To see literally thousands of people being good to one another for a change. To see the enthusiasm to give and the gratitude from one person to another to receive,” Koskey added. “This feast is not just feeding hungry people, it provides a bit of healing on both sides, those who want to give and those who need to receive.” 

 

“Thanksgiving,” Holm explained,  “is a time to give thanks for all our blessings.”

For Orlando resident Ralph Francis, the gathering provides not only a meal, but a chance to help through volunteering. “I don't have a family anymore,” Frances explained. After his father passed away, he does not see many of his other relatives. “So instead of going to a restaurant and buying dinner or eating alone, I go there all day and serve and enjoy that I can give back.”

 

In addition to those who come to join one another for the meal, preregistered groups, civic organizations and churches of many denominations arrive to pick-up meals that will be distributed to other Thanksgiving gatherings and to those who are home bound or otherwise not able to attend the meal at The Salvation Army.

 

“This feast,” Kelly explained, “is not only about full stomachs, but full hearts.”

 

The meals will be served starting at 11:00am on Thanksgiving Day at The Salvation Army, 440 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando.